Derek Jeter’s Second Act: The Players’ Tribune

Derek Jeter is hanging up the pinstripes and heading straight into editorial. Just three days after playing in his final game for the New York Yankees, the former shortstop launched The Players’ Tribune, a new Web site he says will connect professional athletes and fans in a more personal, unfiltered way.

In a letter announcing the site, Jeter admitted to having a reputation for being guarded in his interactions with the press. “I learned early on in New York, the toughest media environment in sports, that just because a reporter asks you a question doesn’t mean you have to answer,” Jeter wrote. “I attribute much of my success in New York to my ability to understand and avoid unnecessary distractions.”

Jeter has been so effective in avoiding those “distractions” that some decided to fill in the gaps. Mark Lisantihas kept a “diary” for Jeter on Grantland, entries of which are actually not unlike Jeter’s Tribune letter.

But now that his career is over, Jeter plans to open up—and encourages other athletes to do the same. “I’m not a robot,” Jeter said. “Neither are the other athletes who at times might seem unapproachable. We all have emotions. We just need to be sure our thoughts will come across the way we intend.”

Will it work? Who knows! Jeter’s entering publishing at a time when some experts say the market for news is exploding, and everyone and their favorite blogger have marquee sites. Some are doing better than others. The media is inventing new words for itself (is Jeter going to be a “platisher”?), but The New York Times is eliminating 100 jobs and at least one of its new apps.

If Jeter is able to field pieces from athletes more open than himself, The Players’ Tribune would certainly have an audience. Imagine, for example, an N.F.L. player writing a column about an experience with the league’s hyperactive damage-control operation, or a member of the L.A. Clippers offering an inside look at what it was like to work with Donald Sterling.

The challenge, however, is twofold: players don’t really have much of an incentive to open up (which is why they don’t give more frank interviews than they already do), and Jeter’s site will be going up against well-established outlets such as ESPN, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and any number of other well-sourced operations.

In any case, here’s what appears to be the mission statement of Jeter’s enterprise. The site says it will reveal its next editor on October 2.

Introducing The Players’ Tribune, a new media platform that will present the unfiltered voices of professional athletes, bringing fans closer to the games they love than ever before. Founded by Derek Jeter, The Players’ Tribune aims to provide unique insight into the daily sports conversation and to publish first-person stories directly from athletes. From video to podcasts to player polls and written pieces, The Tribune will strive to be “The Voice of the Game.”